Arabian Nightmare
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: The Impossibles' gig in the country of Khakistan holds more than just a personal appearance
1. Prologue

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just to avoid some confusion here. Since The Impossibles' back story was never given in the original cartoon (you know, what their lives were like before they became Secret Fighters for Justice), I'm taking a LOT of creative licensing on that regard. As always, The Impossibles and Big D belong to Hanna-Barbera, everyone else belongs to me._

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a Middle Eastern kingdom known as Khakistan. The ruler of this kingdom was called Sultan Khazaiah Sayedso. He was a good ruler, and the people loved him. He was married to a woman named Melorah, and the couple had a daughter named Sandrina. Though the sultan loved his daughter dearly, he had hoped someday for a son. Ten years after Sandrina had been born, Melorah had given birth to a boy. The couple named him Ali. But soon thereafter, tragedy struck. Melorah had died, due to complications from childbirth. Then, a week later, the sultan woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Ali crying. This was nothing new. Ali often woke up at two in the morning crying. The sultan got up to check on his son, and give him the standard two o'clock feeding, when the child's crying ceased. The sultan figured Sandrina woke up, and decided to attend to her brother, so he thought nothing of it and went back to bed.

At sunrise, the sultan went to see his child, but he was not in his cradle. The sultan then went to find Sandrina, figuring Ali was with her. When he approached his daughter and asked her about this, she claimed she had not seen her brother since the night before. Panicked, the sultan ordered his guards to infiltrate the thieves' guilds in the marketplace. He knew someone had snuck into the palace and taken his son. The search went on for years, but Ali was never found.

Sixteen years had passed, thus bringing the story to present day Khakistan. Sultan Khazaiah Sayedso still ruled, but he was growing older. He was sitting on his throne one day, thinking things over.

"I fear the time has come," he said to his advisors. "I'm an old man, and I know how much longer I can go on."

"You shouldn't talk like that, sire," one of his advisors said.

"No, it is time to start thinking of the future of Khakistan," the sultan said. "I had hoped my son Ali would inherit the throne someday. Allah knows what happened to him for sixteen years . . . . because of this, my daughter, Sandrina, will have to inherit the throne and become queen. Bring her here so that I may tell her myself."

"Yes, sire," another advisor said. "I shall fetch the princess at once."

The advisor then left the throne room, and went to find Sandrina. She was sitting at her dresser, putting on her jewels, and admiring herself in her mirror. She had grown into a beautiful woman, but she was also quite vain and shallow.

"Mirror, mirror in my hand," she chanted. "Who's the prettiest princess in the land? I am, of course!"

Sandrina laughed, and began running her hands through her long raven hair. Then she began fastening jeweled hairclips in it.

"There is none more gorgeous than me," she said. "I am the world's most beautiful princess. And I will be the world's most beautiful queen. Since my poor little baby brother vanished, I shall inherit the throne. Stupid law, anyway, having the first born son be the heir to the throne. I am the oldest, after all."

As Sandrina was primping, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" she shouted, not bothering to look away from her mirror.

"Good morning, your grace," the sultan's advisor said. "You're looking as lovely as ever this morning."

"But of course," Sandrina said, still gazing in her mirror. "Now then, I'm sure you didn't come here to state the obvious. What is it you want?"

"Your father wishes to see you right away, princess."

"Oh, all right."

Sandrina grudgingly put down her mirror, and followed her father's advisor to the throne room. Then, she smiled, and turned to her father.

"You sent for me, Father?" she asked.

"Yes, my daughter," the sultan said. "I am growing older, and I do not know how much longer I will be on this earth. I want you to be prepared to become queen."

"Sire! Sire!" a servant shouted suddenly, running into the room with a newspaper. "Forgive the interruption sire, but I thought you should see the headline in the entertainment section of today's newspaper!"

"Let me see," the sultan said, taking the paper. "American pop group, the Impossibles, to tour the middle east. Why have you brought me this, Kazim?"

"There's a photo of the band in the paper, sire," Kazim said. "Just look at the boy on the right, the one with the black hair."

Everyone in the room gathered around the sultan, and looked at the photo Kazim was referring to.

"My Allah . . . ." one gasped. "This boy in the photo . . . . he looks almost identical to the sultan when he was a teenager!"

"And didn't everyone say that Prince Ali was the spitting image of the sultan?" another asked.

"It cannot be possible," the sultan said.

"It can, sire," Kazim said. "Prince Ali had been missing for sixteen years. No one said he was dead."

"Praise Allah!" the sultan shouted. "The prince has returned! Find out exactly where in the middle east this band is arriving. Have the guards that boy to me at once!"

"Yes sir!" the advisors shouted, and they ran out of the palace. Once they were gone, the sultan turned to Sandrina.

"Isn't this wonderful, daughter?" he asked. "At last after all these years, my son, your brother, has returned!"

"Oh yeah," Sandrina said, though she didn't sound very enthusiastic. "Wonderful. I'm thrilled, Father. Absolutely tha-rilled."

As all this was going on, the Impossi-Jet flew through the skies. Coiley was driving, Fluey was tuning his guitar, and Multi was keeping a firm hold on his pet puppy (and Impossibles' new mascot), Skittles, so she wouldn't jump out of the jet while it was still airborne.

"Are you guys sure it's a good idea to tour the middle east?" Multi asked. "You know all the stuff that goes on there."

"Don't worry, Multi," Fluey said. "As long as we stay out of Iraq and Iran, we'll be fine."

"Besides, we're only touring the smaller, lesser known countries," Coiley said.

"You know Big D wouldn't let us get involved with anything he doesn't think we can't handle," Fluey pointed out.

"I guess you're right," Multi said. "But it doesn't make me any less nervous."

"He has a point, Fluey," Coiley said. "Something's telling me this trip has more in store for us than just a concert tour."


	2. Try Try Again

The Impossibles landed, and Coiley converted the jet to the Impossi-Mobile, and then began driving. Fluey took out the boys' schedule for the tour, and looked it over.

"First stop is a country called Khakistan," he said.

"Okay," Coiley said. "Let's go."

Coiley started the Impossi-Mobile, and drove directly to Khakistan. When they entered the city, they were met by at least a hundred screaming teenage girls.

"Who knew we were so popular over here?" Coiley asked. He began driving down the street towards the spot where the group was scheduled to play that evening.

As they were driving, the sultan's guards spotted them.

"There they are," one said. "Should we go get him now?"

"Not yet," another said. "We have to do this carefully. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. We will follow them."

The other guards nodded, and followed their leader down the street to the auditorium where the boys were scheduled to play that night. The Impossibles were rehearsing the songs they were going to play at the show, with Skittles sitting on the edge of the stage watching them, thumping her tail against the stage, in time to the music. Suddenly, she stopped keeping time. Her ears perked up, as she heard someone coming into the room. She turned around, and began growling.

"What's wrong, Skits?" Fluey asked. Skittles began barking, and the boys stopped what they were doing, and looked at the audience. That's when they noticed the sultan's guards standing there.

"Don't let us interrupt you," the captain of the guards said. "Just go on with your playing."

"You guys the local authorities or something?" Multi asked.

"Yes, we're official guards of the sultan," one of the other guards said. "Our ruler, Sultan Khazaiah Sayedso, heard you were in town."

"No kidding," Fluey said.

"Yes," the captain said. "You three just go on with your playing. Let us know when you're finished."

Skittles growled at the lot of them, until Multi picked her up.

"Skittles, stop that," he scolded. "They're not going to hurt us."

But Skittles wasn't convinced. She gave a final growl to the guards, and spent the rest of the rehearsal in what the Impossibles had dubbed "Guard Dog Mode," which was Skittles readying herself to pounce, and growling a little bit.

"Sorry about my dog," Multi said to the guards. "She's a little overprotective of us sometimes."

The guards said nothing, and watched the boys rehearse. When they were through, the guards approached the stage.

"So that is your American rock and roll," one said.

"Pretty much," Fluey said, with a shrug.

"Come on, Fluey," Coiley said. "We're going to go check out the sights. We've got some time before the concert."

"Okay, fellas, be right there," Fluey said, as Multi and Coiley started to leave the auditorium. Skittles followed, but stopped, and turned back towards Fluey and the guards. Her doggie instincts were telling her something.

"Skittles, come on, girl!" Multi called. But Skittles ignored him. She was more interested in the sultan's guards than sight seeing.

"Before you go, young man," the captain of the guards said to Fluey. "Might I ask you a small favor?"

"It depends on the favor," Fluey said, closing his guitar case, and standing up. "What do you have in mind?"

"Our sultan wishes an audience with you," the captain of the guards said. "A bit of a . . . . command performance, as it were."

"Playing a royal gig, huh?" Fluey said. "Well, let me get the guys, and tell them. I'm sure they'll . . . ."

"You don't understand, young friend," the captain of the guards said, grabbing Fluey's wrist. "He does not want an audience with the band. Just with you."

"Just me?" Fluey asked, confused. "But why? I don't get it."

"You soon will," the captain said, pulling Fluey off the stage, and he started out the door. "Now come along. We mustn't keep the sultan waiting."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Fluey yelled, trying to pull away from the guard. "Let go of me, buster, or you're gonna be sorry!"

"I had a feeling you would be a feisty one," the captain said.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, pal!" Fluey said. He dropped his guitar case, wound up his fist, and gave the captain a good, hard sock in the jaw. The captain was so stunned, he let go of Fluey. Immediately, the black haired teenager grabbed his guitar case, and tried to make a run for it, but two more guards grabbed him by the arms.

"You're coming with us!" one shouted.

"Let me go!" Fluey yelled. Then he caught sight of Skittles on the stage. "Skittles! Hurry! Get Multi and Coiley!"

Skittles barked, and she ran out of the theater. Coiley and Multi were sitting in the Impossi-Mobile, waiting somewhat impatiently.

"What's taking him so long?" Coiley asked.

"Uh oh," Multi said, just as a flash of light came out of the theater, and streaked towards the car. "Skittles is doing the Impossi-Pup routine. Must be trouble."

Skittles slammed right into Multi, pushing the mop-topped teen against the car seat. Multi groaned.

"Skittles, you've got to learn to apply your brakes," he said. Skittles began to bark hysterically then. Multi and Coiley knew she only did that when there was trouble.

"Come on, Multi," Coiley said. "Judging by the way Skittles is barking, I'd say there's trouble in there."

"And Fluey could be right in the middle of it," Multi said.

"Rally ho!" both Multi and Coiley shouted, and they raced back into the theater. Skittles ran ahead of them, and did the pointer routine (_poing!_) Coiley and Multi saw the sultan's guards trying to drag Fluey out of the theater, but they were having a difficult time doing so. Fluey was resistant, they knew that.

"Go get 'em, Skittles!" Multi shouted.

Skittles barked, and zoomed towards the guards. She bit one on the leg, and zoomed to the other and bit him in the rear end.

"Ouch!" one yelled.

"Eeeyow!" the other shouted, ultimately letting go of Fluey. Immediately, Fluey ran toward his friends.

"Thanks, fellas," he said. "We'd better do the superhero thing before they try again!"

"Good idea," Coiley said, and in a flash, the singing Impossibles became the superhero Impossibles. Skittles barked three times, did a backflip, and was transformed into Impossi-Pup.

"Rally ho!" they shouted.

"What is _this_?!" one of the guards shouted.

"Who cares?" the captain said. "Just grab him!"

Two guards ran for Fluey. He quickly converted to liquid, and spread himself on the floor. The two guards slipped, fell, and crash landed right on their backs. Then, Fluey took off.

"Incompetent fools!" the captain yelled.

Two more guards charged the boys. Multi duplicated himself, and surrounded them.

"I've got you surrounded!" he shouted. The two guards whipped out their swords and began slashing the duplicates, destroying them.

"That's all of them," one said.

"Except the original!" the original Multi yelled, making one more duplicate of himself. Then, he and his duplicate whacked the guards over the head with their shields.

"Bumbling idiots!" the captain yelled. "Looks like I'll have to do everything myself! You're coming with me, boy, whether you like it or not!"

"Guess again, tall, dark, and gruesome!" Fluey shouted. He converted to liquid, and shot through the sprinkler system. Then, before the captain could do anything else, Coiley sprang forward, and punched the captain in the nose. The force of the punch sent him straight into the wall.

"All clear, Fluey!" Coiley called. Fluey came out of the sprinkler system, and streamed for the door.

"Let's split before they come to!" he shouted.

"Good idea!" Coiley shouted, and the Impossibles and Skittles beat a hasty retreat to the Impossi-Mobile, and sped off. The guards got their wits back shortly afterwards, but there was no way they'd be able to catch up with the boys now.

"We'd better report back to the sultan," the captain said. "We'll try again later."

The guards left to report to their ruler. Meanwhile, the Impossibles stopped their car once they felt they were far enough away from the guards.

"I think we lost them," Multi said.

"What do those guards want with you anyway, Fluey?" Coiley asked.

"Beats me," Fluey said, shrugging. "They said the sultan wanted an audience with me. I don't think I want to know about it."

"Well, we'd better be on guard," Multi said. "You know the old saying. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

"Right," Fluey said. "And what's more, they know where we're playing tonight!"

Coiley and Multi nodded, and the trio drove off. Meanwhile, the guards were reporting back to Sultan Khazaiah Sayedso.

"They have arrived in town, your majesty," the captain said. "And we tried to bring the dark haired one back here, but he wouldn't come. We didn't tell him who we think he is, because it would only cause a frenzy among the townspeople."

"That is true," the sultan said. "You must try again. It's obvious the prince doesn't remember who he is."

"Father, are we even sure he's Ali?" Sandrina asked.

"Yes, Sandrina," the sultan said. "I'm sure he is."

"Well I'm not," Sandrina said. "I think, if Ali hasn't been found in sixteen years, then he must be dead."

"No one can prove it, daughter."

Sandrina sighed frustratedly, and left the room. She wasn't happy with the turn of events. She wanted to be queen. She only hoped that the guards were unable to carry out their orders.

That night, the Impossibles were playing at the Khakistan auditorium to a sell out crowd. Of course, most of the members of the audience were teenage girls. The sultan's guards were waiting outside the auditorium, right by the stage door. They figured, since the Impossi-Mobile was parked right by the door, the trio would be exiting that way.

"Are you sure this will work?" one guard asked.

"You know the old saying," the captain of the guards said. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

"But how long do we have to stand out here waiting for them?"

"As long as it takes."

The other guard sighed. Something was telling him this was going to be a long night. Inside, as the Impossibles took a break, Coiley noticed something.

"I haven't seen those guards tonight," he said.

"Don't push it, Coiley," Fluey said. "I'm getting an icky feeling in the pit of my stomach that we're not through with them."

The boys then went back on the stage and performed a couple more songs. Once they were finished with their gig, they started to leave the auditorium. They didn't even see the guards standing at the back door. The minute Fluey walked out of the stage door, the captain of the guards grabbed him, clamping his hand over the teenager's mouth, to prevent him from calling for help.

"Gotcha now!" he laughed. "Now then, I do believe you have an appointment with the sultan."

Luckily, the act didn't go unnoticed. Skittles began growling, and barking so much, Multi and Coiley turned around. But before they could do anything, Skittles barked three times, back flipped, and changed to Impossi-Pup. Her legs began spinning around until they became a blur, and she took off towards the sultan's guards, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single . . . . .(_whoops! Wrong cartoon!_)

Anyway, Impossi-Pup slammed into the captain of the guards, pushing him right through the wall of the auditorium. Immediately, Fluey raced to Multi and Coiley.

"Geesh, that dog doesn't know her own strength!" he shouted.

"Skittles!" Multi called, then whistled. "Come here, girl!"

Skittles barked, and then trotted out of the hole in the wall, like a pony. Then, she jumped into Multi's arms, and began licking his face. The other guard just stood there dumbfounded. The Impossibles decided to get out of there ASAP, before either of the guards could get their wits back.

"Sir, are you all right?" the guard asked his captain.

"If I may quote my favorite cartoon character, Dick Dastardly," the captain of the guards said. "Drat, drat, and double drat! We'll never get him this way."

"His friends and that puny little dog of theirs spoil everything," the other guard said. "We'll have to separate them, and that's going to be easier said than done. Those three . . . . uhh, _four_ . . . . . always seem to be together."

"You know the old saying. Third time's the charm."

The two guards left the auditorium then. They had some serious thinking to do.

The next morning, the Impossibles were in their hotel room, trying to figure out what was going on. Coiley was talking to Big D via his guitar.

"This has been the second attempt, chief," he said. "None of us can figure out why they're even after Fluey."

"I'll have to look into this one," Big D said. "In the meantime, be extremely careful."

"Will do, chief," Coiley said.

"So now what do we do?" Fluey asked as Coiley ended the transmission.

"I guess we'll have to stay here until tonight," Coiley said. "We've got another concert lined up at the auditorium."

"One thing's for sure, Fluey," Multi said. "We're not letting you out of our sight for a minute while we're here!"

"Oh yeah, like _that's_ not gonna drive me nuts," Fluey said, sarcastically.

"Sorry, Fluey, but it's for your own good," Coiley said, shrugging.

"I just don't get it," Fluey sighed. "What in the world could this sultan want with me?"

Multi and Coiley couldn't answer that one, either. It looked like it was going to remain a mystery to the three of them. That night, the trio left the hotel for the auditorium. This time, the sultan's guards had a fool proof plan. As the Impossibles were playing, the guards put night vision goggles, and then cut the power to the auditorium.

"Hey, man, who killed the lights?" Fluey asked.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Coiley said.

"We'd better get to the bottom of this," Multi said.

Multi couldn't have chosen a more appropriate phrase. At that exact moment, a trap door opened on the stage, and Fluey fell right through it. He crashed directly to the floor below, hard.

"Ow!" he shouted, once he hit. "Oooh, watch out for that first step. It's a long one!"

"So, young musician, we meet again," the captain of the guards said.

"Oh brother, not you again!" Fluey shouted. "What do you want with me, anyway?"

"That's for us to know, and you to find out. And this time, you will not escape."

"Don't bet on it, buster!"

Fluey was about to run, but he was blocked off by a group of the guards. He tried to go in another direction, but once again, the guards blocked his path. He was surrounded, and trapped. The captain of the guards laughed, and approached Fluey. He then threw a large tarp of sorts over the teenager.

"This is one job that's in the bag," he laughed at his own (bad) joke. "All right, men, let's report back to the sultan!"


	3. Shocking Secret

Backstage, Multi managed to find the power switch, and he turned the lights back on. Before he and Coiley could get back to the gig, they heard Skittles barking. Multi and Coiley walked over to the back door, and saw the sultan's guards, leaving the premises, with the captain carrying a large burlap bag.

"Hollerin' hi-fis!" Multi shouted. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Coiley?"

"Darn right," Coiley said. "Let's go!"

Multi and Coiley immediately dropped their guitars, and raced for the Impossi-Mobile. Skittles was right behind them. Coiley took off down the street, in order to catch up with the guards, who were loading the bag into the back of their truck.

"Uh oh," one said. "Captain, they've spotted us."

"We'll take the long way," the captain said. "We'll be able to lose them when we get to the bridge."

The guards climbed into their truck, and took off. But the two Impossibles stuck to them.

"Floor it, Coiley!" Multi shouted.

"I am, I am!" Coiley yelled.

Skittles barked, launched into super speed, and jumped out to the back of the Impossi-Mobile, and actually started pushing it, while Coiley had the gas pedal to the floorboard. The sultan's guards passed the bridge the captain had referred to, and stopped once they got across.

"We've got 'em now!" Coiley shouted.

"That's what you think, Chubby," the captain of the guards said, opening a small door on the bridge post, and pushing a button on it. It happened to be a moveable bridge, the kind that rose whenever large boats were passing underneath them.

"Uh oh!" Coiley shouted, slamming on the brakes. Skittles immediately skidded to a halt as well.

"Convert to Impossi-Jet, Coiley," Multi said. "We've got to stop them!"

"Right!" Coiley shouted, pushing a button in the car, converting it to the Impossi-Jet. They took off into the air.

"Impossible!" the captain of the guards shouted, as he looked up and saw the Impossi-Jet. "I thought for sure . . . ."

"I've got an idea," the guard driving the truck said. Then, he swerved, going through a small opening in a stone wall. It was too low for the Impossi-Jet and it crashed right into the wall. Then it hit the ground, and Coiley realized the opening was too small for the Impossi-Mobile to get through as well.

"Looks like it's up to Skittles," Multi said. "She's the only one who can catch them now. Go to it, Impossi-Pup!"

Skittles barked three times, back flipped, and transformed to Impossi-Pup. Then she shot through the opening while Multi and Coiley checked out the damage to the Impossi-Jet. A few minutes later, Skittles came back, whimpering.

"What's wrong, Skittles?" Multi asked. "Did you lose them?"

Skittles nodded, and whimpered some more. Multi picked her up, and stroked her back.

"It's okay, girl," he said. "At least you tried."

"At least we know where they're going," Coiley said.

"Right," Multi said. "We'd better head for the palace."

Multi and Coiley jumped into the Impossi-Mobile, and took off down the street, looking for the palace.

And speaking of the palace, that's where the guards had just arrived. They threw the burlap sack to the floor of the throne room, and released Fluey from it. He was a bit dizzy and disoriented.

"Forgive the abrupt way you were brought here," the captain of the guards said. "But we had very little choice."

"Okay, so you've got me here," Fluey said, standing up. "Now what are you gonna do with me?"

"We're going to take you to the sultan."

"This is ridiculous. I haven't even _done_ anything! What does he want with me, anyway?!"

"You will soon find out, young one."

Fluey sighed, and followed the captain of the guards to the throne room. It was probably the only way he was going to find out what was going on. Upon entering the throne room, the captain bowed to the sultan, and to Sandrina, who was also in the room. Fluey noticed she didn't look very pleased. As a matter of fact, she looked pretty ticked off. The last time Fluey saw an expression that angry was when he and Multi broke into Multi's older sister's diary and read it (they were only thirteen at the time).

"Allow me to present," the captain of the guards said. "The sultan of Khakistan, his royal majesty Khazaiah Sayedso, and his daughter, the princess Sandrina."

"Welcome to my palace, young man," the sultan said.

"Some welcome!" Fluey shouted. "You call being dragged somewhere against their will a welcome?!"

"My apologies for that," the sultan said. "Be assured my intentions are not for evil purposes."

"Okay, just what am I doing here, anyway?"

"Sixteen years ago, my son, Prince Ali, was taken from his cradle when he was a baby. He has not been seen since."

"So . . . . what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, how old are you?"

"Sixteen. But I still don't understand."

"That is how old my son would be."

"Hey, whoa, wait, hold the phone here! You don't honestly _think_ that I could . . . . I mean . . . . it's not possible! It just can't be . . . . can it?"

"Captain, show him the picture," the sultan said. The captain of the guards nodded, and left the room for a moment. Fluey was still plenty confused over this. A minute later, the captain returned with a photo.

"This is a photo of the sultan when he was sixteen," he explained, handing Fluey the photo. His lower jaw nearly made a dent in the floor when he saw it.

"Holy Mesopotamia!" he yelled the minute he got his wits back. "He . . . . he looks just like me! This can't be happening. This just _can't_ be happening! I don't know how this . . . . listen, sultan, seriously, I'm not who you think I am. This is just some big coincidence, I'm sure of it!"

"Captain, take the prince to his room, and see that he is properly attired," the sultan said.

"Yes, sire," the captain said, and he started to lead Fluey out of the throne room.

"Hold it a minute here!" Fluey protested. "There's got to be some kind of mistake! I'm not this Prince Ali, or whatever his name is!"

But no one was listening, except Sandrina. She turned to her father.

"Are you positive he's Ali, Father?" she asked. "By the way he's protesting . . . ."

"We can not expect him to remember," the sultan said. "After all, he was barely a week old when he was taken."

Sandrina had to agree on that one, but she still wasn't satisfied. All she knew was that this teenager could be her brother, and if it was, he would become sultan once Khazaiah Sayedso died, and it would ruin her chances to become queen.

"You'll regret returning to Khakistan, Ali," she grumbled, as she walked down the hall to her room. "I swear that _I_ will be the ruler of this country!"

Meanwhile, Multi, Coiley, and Skittles had just arrived at the palace, and they saw it was being heavily guarded.

"How are we going to get in?" Coiley asked.

"It would be easier with our superhero identities," Multi said. "But we can't change without Fluey."

"Remind me to talk to the SSHQ scientists about that when we get home," Coiley said. "They have _got_ to come up with something that will allow us to change if we happen to be separated when we need to do the superheroics."

Skittles began barking. She was not going to take this sitting down. She leapt out of Multi's arms, and raced for the gates.

"Skittles!" Multi shouted. "Skittles, come back here!"

Multi and Coiley got out of the Impossi-Mobile, and started chasing the little puppy, but Skittles was moving too fast for them, and the guards stopped them right away.

"Halt!" one shouted. "Who goes there?!"

"It's those two boys from the band," the other guard said. "What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for our friend," Multi said. "And my dog just ran inside the palace, and we've got to get her before she hurts someone."

"That little puppy of yours?" the first guard asked with a laugh. He had seen Skittles, but he hadn't seen her in action.

"How could she hurt someone?" he asked.

"She can move at super speed, and is liable to knock someone over if she doesn't stop in time," Coiley said. "That, and she could also break something if she's not careful."

"Sorry, boys," the other guard said. "But no one is allowed inside, unless the sultan or the princess are expecting them, and I honestly don't think they'd be expecting you two."

"Well, Multi, what do you suggest?" Coiley asked.

"I hate to do this, but we don't have a choice," Multi said. "We're going to have to do what Fluey generally does when he's cornered and can't transform."

Coiley nodded. He didn't like doing it, either, and he and Multi knew they could wind up in big trouble, but there was no alternative. They punched the two guards in the face, knocking them out, and ran for the palace. They approached the door, and found a hole in the bottom of it.

"Looks like Skittles found a way in," Coiley commented, as he opened the door. "Let's go!"

"Halt!" another guard shouted. "Intruders!"

"Uh oh," Multi said. "We'd better get going, Coiley!"

"Right!" Coiley shouted, and he and Multi ran off down the corridor with the guards hot on their heels.

As that was going on, Fluey was being led back to the throne room, now that he had been "properly attired," which was basically a green short-sleeved shirt underneath a blue vest with gold trim, a dark green belt tied around his waist, blue pants, and a gold band around his head. He kept his boots, however.

"Man, I look like something out of an episode of _I Dream of Jeannie_," he said. "This whole Arabian Nights thing just isn't my style."

"You'll get used to it," the sultan said.

"I doubt it," Fluey mumbled, but he walked up to a throne next to the sultan's and sat down. It was about all he could do at the time. He had to think of a way to convince the sultan he wasn't Prince Ali, but he couldn't think of how. As he was thinking it over, both he, and the sultan heard barking coming from the hallway.

"What in the world is that?" the sultan asked.

Fluey stood up for a minute, and started walking toward the hallway, when a flash of light suddenly zoomed in, and knocked him to the floor. It was Skittles, and she immediately began licking Fluey's face.

"Okay, Skittles, okay!" he laughed, as he pulled the puppy off him for a minute. "I'm happy to see you, too!"

"There she is," Multi said, as he and Coiley came into the room. Then the two of them saw Fluey.

"Fluey, are you okay?" Multi asked, as he helped his friend off the floor.

"What are you wearing?" Coiley asked. "You look like something out of an episode of _I Dream of Jeannie._"

"Yeah, I know, I know," Fluey said. "Listen, fellas, I can explain this, but trust me, you're not gonna believe it."

Before Fluey could say another word, the guards rushed in.

"There they are!" one shouted. "Arrest them for trespassing!"

"Whoa, hold it!" Fluey shouted. "They're my friends. You can't arrest them."

"But your highness . . . ." one of the guards said.

"Highness?!" Multi and Coiley shouted in perfect unison, and then shot Fluey a weird look. Fluey just shrugged.

"It's okay," he said, turning to the guards. "Just trust me."

"All right," the guard said, and he and the others left.

"Your highness?" Coiley repeated. "Fluey, what's going on?"

"Allow me to explain, gentlemen," the sultan said. "It would appear that your friend is my missing son, Prince Ali. He is the same age."

"Yeah, and look at this photo," Fluey said, handing the photo of the sultan to his friends.

"Jumpin' jukebox!" Coiley shouted suddenly.

"If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it," Multi said. "Fluey, you look exactly like the sultan when he was a teenager!"

"I know," Fluey said. "But it's just got to be a coincidence. I just _can't_ be this Prince Ali. I mean, you guys also know I can't be him, right?"

Multi and Coiley looked at each other. They weren't quite sure what to think. Finally, Multi spoke up.

"Uhh, Fluey . . . ." he said, a little hesitantly. "I'm not exactly sure how to say this . . . . but . . . . well . . . ."

"You know how you live with your Aunt Tillie?" Coiley asked. "And the fact that she's not your real aunt, just your guardian?"

"Yeah, she's a friend of my parents," Fluey said. "I live with her because my parents died when I was three."

"Adopted parents," Coiley corrected.

"Yeah," Fluey said, shrugging. "Adopted parents. I don't know what you're getting at with this, fellas, I mean, you guys know as well as I do that I was left on the doorstep of the children's home when I was a baby, and nobody knows who my birth parents really are."

Suddenly, Fluey realized what just came out of his mouth.

"Holy Mesopotamia!" he shouted. "That means that I . . . . it's . . . . . but . . . . but I can't be! It's just . . . . I . . . . I . . . . oooohhhh!"

Fluey suddenly crashed to the floor in a dead faint. The realization that he could possibly be Prince Ali of Khakistan was just too much for him.


	4. Confession

"I think he's starting to come around."

"Fluey, can you hear us?"

Fluey stirred for a minute, and slowly opened his eyes. He was able to make out Coiley and Multi standing over him.

"Oh boy," he groaned, as he started to lean up. "What just happened?"

"Take it easy, Fluey," Multi said, pushing his friend back down for the moment. "You've been out of it for four hours now."

"Four hours?" Fluey repeated.

"Yeah, that must've been kind of a shock," Coiley said.

"You mean . . . . you mean it wasn't some kinda crazy dream?!" Fluey shouted, sitting up. "Oh brother, I don't know if I can take this! Come on, fellas, we've got to convince this sultan that I'm not his son!"

"Hold it a minute, Fluey," Coiley said. "How do we know you aren't?"

"Coiley has a point," Multi said. "After all, you _were_ left on a doorstep when you were a baby."

"Who's side are you guys on, anyway?!" Fluey shouted.

"That's not what Multi meant," Coiley said. "Fluey, we're not saying you _are_ the prince, but . . . ."

"Well, we're not saying you _aren't_, either," Multi finished.

"But I can't be, I just can't be!" Fluey shouted. He held his hand to his head, suddenly feeling dizzy again. "Oooh, I think I'm gonna faint!"

"Oh no you don't!" Coiley shouted, grabbing Fluey's shoulders. "Pull yourself together, Fluey! We've got to figure this out."

"Right, right, right," Fluey said. "But the question is how are we going to do it?"

The boys sat there thinking for a minute or so. As they pondered the situation, Sandrina came into the room.

"Awake, I see," she said. "How are you feeling? Father's been worried."

"I think my head's going to be spinning over this for awhile," Fluey said. Then he thought of something. "Hey, listen, you're the sultan's daughter, so you oughta know . . . . is there a way we can prove that I am the prince or not? I mean, does he have any type of birthmark or something?"

"No," Sandrina said. "Nothing at all. It's going to be hard to prove."

Skittles looked at Sandrina and growled. She didn't like her. Sandrina glared at Skittles, and gave her a small kick.

"Back, you savage brute!" she shouted. "How _dare _you growl at a princess!"

"Skittles only growls at people she doesn't like," Multi said, picking up his puppy. "And she knows when someone doesn't like her."

"I detest dogs," Sandrina said.

"Well, you're gonna have to get used to her," Fluey said, suddenly feeling uneasy around the princess. He had a feeling Skittles was on to something here.

"If I must," Sandrina sighed. Then, she gently pushed Fluey back down into the bed. "But we'll worry about that later. Right now, my dear little brother, you should rest. You've had a long day. You just let your big sister take care of you."

"Somehow, I don't like the sound of that," Fluey said.

"Now, now, don't be silly," Sandrina said. "Like I said, just let me take care of you."

And with that, Sandrina left the room, mumbling to herself, sneakily.

"I'll take care of you all right," she said. "Permanently!"

Sandrina laughed, and she went directly into the kitchen. Then, she took out a pot, filled it with water, and began cooking soup in it. Once it was ready, she pulled a small bottle out of her pocket, and, using an eye dropper, squeezed five drops of a strange black liquid into the soup. As soon as the fifth drop was in, black steam in the shape of a skull and crossbones appeared over the soup, and then it was gone. Sandrina laughed, picked up the bowl, and started walking back to Fluey's room.

"Here you are, little brother," she said. "I made you some soup."

"Do me a favor," Fluey said. "Don't call me 'little brother' until we find out for sure if I really am your brother, all right? Because for all we know, I might not even be your brother!"

"Yes, yes, I know," Sandrina said. "Anyway, you just eat your soup, and I'll come back later when you're finished."

Sandrina snickered a little, and left the room. Fluey didn't trust her one little bit, and neither did Multi and Coiley.

"I think she's up to something," Multi said.

"So do I," Fluey replied. "When I first got here, she was giving me this look . . . . you know the one, Multi, the same one your sister gave us when she caught us reading her diary."

"Oh yeah," Multi said, nodding. "Talk about if looks could kill!"

"Right," Fluey said. "And now she's being nice to me? That doesn't make sense."

"I don't think you should eat that soup, Fluey," Coiley said. "She might have put something in it."

"I know, but I'm starving," Fluey said. "Besides, I don't think one bite would kill me."

Skittles suddenly barked, and she dashed over to the boys. She grabbed the bowl in her front paws, and ran over to a nearby potted plant on her hind legs (she can do that, she's a cartoon puppy, folks!), and dumped the soup into the pot. The plant became rigid, and then flopped to the ground, dead.

"Scratchy soundtracks!" Coiley shouted. "That soup was poisoned!"

"Thanks, Skittles," Fluey said. "I guess one bite _would_ have killed me!"

A little while later, Sandrina started back to Fluey's room. She was sure her little scheme had worked, but much to her complete surprise, and horror, Fluey was still alive. She saw the dead plant in the corner, and began to growl, but she curbed it.

"So . . . . ." she said. "How was the soup?"

"Poisonous," Fluey said. "You wouldn't happen to know how a poison got into it, would you? After all, _you_ were the one who made it."

"Some scoundrel must have snuck into the kitchen while my back was turned," Sandrina lied. Then, she left the room. Skittles growled at her.

"I'm with you, Skits," Fluey said.

"We're going to have to keep our eyes open around her," Coiley said. Multi and Fluey agreed.

The next day, the boys were sitting around the palace, trying to think about what they were going to do about Sandrina, and how to find out for sure if Fluey was, or wasn't Ali.

"What about fingerprints?" Coiley asked.

"I don't know what the record is around here," Fluey said, shrugging. "We may or may not be able to find any fingerprints."

"We could try DNA testing," Multi suggested.

"But who knows how long that'll take?" Fluey said.

"Well, what about _your_ records, Fluey?" Coiley asked.

"What records?" Fluey said. "The only records I have are my adoption papers. I don't even think I've seen my birth certificate!"

"Then how did you apply for your driver's license?" Multi asked.

"Don't ask," was all Fluey said in that regard.

"That's not going to help us much," Coiley said. "And it only ads to the suspicion that you _are_ the sultan's son."

"I'm getting a headache," Fluey moaned, holding his hand to his head. Suddenly, something shot across the room, hit Fluey's headband, and bounced off of it (lucky for him, it was made out of metal). The Impossibles looked down at the floor, and saw a tiny dart laying there.

"What the heck is this?" Fluey asked, picking it up.

"Looks like another attempt on your life, Fluey," Multi said.

"Yeah, just like in the movies," Coiley said. "I saw something on the late, late, late, late, late show once. Somebody fired a poison dart at another guy."

"Gee, thanks, Coiley, I _didn't_ need to hear that!" Fluey shouted, sarcastically.

"Maybe you should bring this up with the sultan," Multi said.

"Good idea," Fluey replied. Then he left to go find the sultan, and tell him his suspicions. The sultan just laughed.

"I think you're still a little shaken over the news," he said. "Sandrina would never try to kill you!"

"I'm telling you, she is!" Fluey shouted. "I mean, I've heard of sibling rivalry, but this is ridiculous!"

"My boy, you're imagining things. I can't imagine why she would want to kill you. Though she did seem a little upset at the thought of your return at first."

"How come?"

"Well, according to Khakistanian law, the first born son of the sultan inherits the throne, regardless if his first born child is a daughter. Sandrina was not very happy with your birth. If, Allah forbid, anything happened to you, then she would inherit the throne."

"I see."

That made a lot of sense. Sandrina wanted the throne, but as long as Fluey was there, she wouldn't be able to inherit it, unless something unfortunate should happen. And Sandrina was apparently speeding things along by trying to kill him. Plus, there was also the fact that Fluey was not convinced that he was Prince Ali. But everyone else seemed pretty sure. There was only one thing to do. Right after Fluey talked to the sultan, he, Multi, and Coiley drove into town to the nearest hospital. Fluey was determined to find out if he really was Prince Ali or not.

"It could take us awhile before we get the results," the doctor said, as he finished taking necessary samples from Fluey in order to perform the DNA test.

"Whatever it takes," Fluey said. "I've just got to know this, doc."

The boys left the hospital and went back to the palace. Fluey looked like he was going to have a nervous breakdown any second. This entire thing was stressing him out, big time.

"I really hope they can get the results soon," he said. "I don't know how much more of this I can stand! I'm second guessing myself here. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not . . . . I don't know anymore, and now we've got this whacked out princess trying to kill me because once the sultan goes, I get the thrown, even though my alleged 'sister' is older and . . . ."

"Fluey, Fluey, Fluey, get ahold of yourself!" Multi shouted, grabbing his friend by the shoulders for a moment.

"Sorry, Multi," Fluey sighed. "I'm just a nervous wreck over this whole mess."

"Why don't you call it a day, Fluey?" Coiley suggested. "Go get some sleep."

"Yeah, we can't have you falling apart on us," Multi said. Skittles barked in agreement.

"Okay," Fluey said. He walked down the hall to his room, and Skittles followed. She usually slept with Multi, but she had a feeling Fluey was going to need her more.

It was around midnight when Skittles suddenly woke up. Her doggie instincts were telling her something wasn't right. She saw someone dressed in black sneak into the room, holding a scarf in her hand. Skittles began growling, and then barking, but the woman in black picked her up by the scruff of the neck, and threw her out of the room and into the hallway. Skittles growled, and ran for Coiley and Multi's room, barking her head off.

The woman in black walked up to Fluey, and slowly wrapped the scarf around his neck. Just as she finished wrapping, Fluey woke up.

"Hey, what . . . ." he started, but was cut off when the woman yanked on the scarf. Fluey choked, and tried fighting his attacker off, but it was no use. Luckily, Skittles, Multi, and Coiley came running in. The woman in black saw them, and ran for the balcony. She climbed over the railing, and down the wall, and then ran off into the night. Multi and Coiley didn't go after her, though. Their first priority was to make sure Fluey was all right. Fluey was coughing and gasping for breath.

"Good thing Skittles decided to sleep in here," Coiley said.

"Yeah," Fluey managed to say. Just then, the sultan and Sandrina ran into the room.

"What's going on in here?" the sultan asked.

"Someone came in and tried to strangle Fluey," Coiley explained.

"And I have a pretty good idea who it was," Fluey said, glaring at Sandrina.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Sandrina asked. "Surely you don't think that _I_ would choke my baby brother to death, would you?"

"You might if it meant you'd become queen," Fluey said. "I'm onto you! I know you're trying to kill me!"

"All right, all right," the sultan said. "That's enough. Now I suggest we all get back to bed."

Fluey shot Sandrina a final glare, and went back to bed. Skittles growled at her as she left the room, jumped onto the bed, and made herself comfortable. But she wasn't going to go to sleep. She was going to stand guard. The night wore on without anymore incidents.

The next morning, Fluey got a tape recorder out from the Impossi-Mobile, and hid it in his pocket. He was going to get Sandrina to confess, but he had to make sure he got it on tape, or else the sultan wouldn't believe it. He found Sandrina in her room, primping.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the biggest rat of all?" he taunted.

"What do you want?" Sandrina said, not bothering to look up from her mirror.

"Why don't you just admit it? I said it last night, and I'll say it again. You're trying to kill me. Don't deny it."

"Now what makes you think I'm trying to kill you?"

"The fact that you'll get the throne if anything happens to Prince Ali, which I am certain I'm _not._ I may look like your dad when he was my age, and I may have been left on a doorstep when I was a baby, but that doesn't automatically make me the missing prince. Fess up, toots, I know what you're up to."

"You think you've got me figured out, don't you? Well, maybe you do. Maybe I _did_ have something to do with Ali's disappearance sixteen years ago. Maybe I paid someone to kidnap him, and take him far, far away . . . . so far away that he would _never_ come back. Even if they had to kill him. And maybe I _am_ trying to kill you, too. I know you tried to tell Father about it, but he didn't believe you. And he won't believe you. It'll be your word against mine."

Fluey just smiled sneakily, at least until his tape recorder went off. It had reached the end of the tape, and Sandrina happened to hear the tape recorder click.

"What was that?" she asked.

"What was what?" Fluey said, acting like he didn't hear anything, hoping it would make Sandrina think she was hearing things. It didn't work. She grabbed Fluey by the arm, and reached into his pocket.

"A tape recorder!" she shouted. "Ooooh, you little sneak! Well, nobody is going to hear this tape!"

Sandrina dropped the tape recorder to the floor, and stomped on it, crushing it, and the tape, to pieces. Then, she walked over to one of the walls, and pushed a button hidden behind a picture frame. A secret door opened.

"Time for Prince Ali to have another mysterious disappearance," Sandrina said. "And this time, I'll take care if it myself, and make sure you _never_ return!"

Fluey tried running, but Sandrina grabbed him, and covered his mouth with her hand to prevent him from yelling for help. Then she dragged him through the secret door, and closed it behind her.


	5. Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a brief one. Due to the events in this particular chapter (especially towards the end of it), I've raised the rating of the story from K+ to T, just as a precaution._

* * *

The secret door led to a tunnel underneath the city streets. Sandrina took Fluey up a flight of stairs, and opened another door. Behind it was a large cave. Sandrina dragged Fluey into it, and practically threw him to the floor.

"Ow, watch it!" he shouted. Sandrina slapped him across the face.

"Shut up, you little worm!" she shouted. She took a piece of rope, and started tying Fluey's hands behind his back.

"You obviously don't know who you're dealing with," Fluey said. "My friends are going to find out about this, and they're just as suspicious about you as I am!"

"What can three teenage boys do?" Sandrina asked. "They wouldn't _dare_ harm a princess! Besides, I have a little trick to get your friends out of the way . . . . and that little mutt of yours, too!"

"If you do anything to my friends, I'm gonna . . . ."

Sandrina slapped Fluey again, harder than she did the first time. Then she grabbed him by his hair, and pulled him to his feet.

"Hey, hey, take it easy!" Fluey shouted. "That hurts!"

"Then shut your trap and move it!" Sandrina yelled, pushing Fluey further into the cave. Fluey didn't have much choice, so he just did everything Sandrina was telling him to do. It was better than getting smacked around. Though he was the one who was used to doing the smacking. Even if his hands weren't tied, he wouldn't have been able to punch Sandrina. It was against his ethics to hit a girl, evil or not. Not that he wouldn't have loved to knock some of Sandrina's teeth out, but his conscious would probably bug him about it until the cows come home.

Sandrina led Fluey to the back of the cave, and once again, threw him to the floor. Then, she tied his ankles together.

"So you just gonna leave me here or what?" Fluey asked.

"For now," Sandrina said. "But don't you worry about a thing. You won't get lonely. At this time of day, the snakes should be arriving soon."

"That just figures," Fluey said, rolling his eyes. "Let me tell you something, princess, I'm not afraid of snakes!"

"Really," Sandrina said. "Well then, how do you feel about cobras?"

"Cobras?!" Fluey shouted, suddenly becoming panicked.

"And not just any cobras, baby brother. Khakistanian cobras. The venom from one can kill a full grown bull elephant in up to six hours. Imagine what a whole nest of Khakistanian cobras could do to you."

"Oooohhhhh boy . . . . ."

"But you don't have anything to worry about. They only attack if they feel provoked. So no sudden movements, now. Oh, and I almost forgot. The little rascals are so sensitive to loud noises. And we wouldn't want to make them angry . . . . they just might attack you quicker."

"I've got news for you. Snakes can't hear."

"Normal snakes can't. Khakistanian cobras can. But, just in case you should forget and try to scream for help . . . ."

Sandrina pulled a scarf out of her pocket, and tied it tightly over Fluey's mouth.

"I know I said they only attack if they feel provoked," she said. "But sometimes . . . . . well, sometimes the little darlings get tingly teeth, and they just have to bite something before they go stark raving mad. But maybe you'll be lucky and they won't be a biting mood. There's always a first time for everything."

Fluey glared at Sandrina and began maneuvering his hands, trying to untie himself. Sandrina just laughed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said. "The little dears will only come at you faster if you move around like that. And I wouldn't expect your friends to come and save you. By the time anyone finds you, it'll be too late! Well, I must be off. Have fun with the cobras, dear baby brother. Tootles!"

Sandrina laughed wickedly, and left. Fluey continued to try to loosen the ropes binding his hands. It was about the only thing he could do. But he stopped suddenly when he heard a hissing sound. He turned to see where it was coming from, and found a small opening in the wall. Inside that opening, he could see several tiny lights, but they weren't lights. They were eyes. Glowing eyes of several snakes. Immediately, Fluey froze.

_No sudden movements,_ he thought, as a cobra slithered out of the opening, followed by another, and another. Fluey did not move one single muscle. He had to do some fast thinking, though. He had to get out of his mess before the snakes attacked. If only one bite could kill a full grown bull elephant in six hours, it was most likely that one bite would kill him instantly.

Meanwhile, back at the sultan's palace, Multi, Coiley, and Skittles were searching for Fluey. Skittles was using her nose to sniff around.

"I don't know where he could've gotten to," Multi said.

"Yeah, it's not like Fluey to up and disappear on us like this," Coiley replied. Skittles suddenly began barking, and she raced into Sandrina's room. She did her pointer routine (_poing!_) and pointed to the smashed tape recorder.

"What's that?" Coiley asked.

"Looks like Fluey's portable tape recorder," Multi said. "Or what's left of it. It's been smashed."

Skittles began barking again, and she started jumping up and down at a picture on the wall, pointing to it with her paw.

"What's the matter, girl?" Multi asked, coming over. "Something about the picture?"

"Maybe behind it," Coiley said. "Let's take a look Multi."

Multi nodded, and removed the picture from the wall. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Skittles began barking like crazy, and she began pawing at the wall, whimpering. But before anything else could happen, the guards raced into the room.

"Halt!" the captain shouted. "You two are under arrest!"

"Under arrest?!" Coiley shouted.

"On what charge?" Multi asked.

"Murder, and assault!" Sandrina shouted, coming into the room. Her clothes were torn up, and her hair was disheveled.

"What?!" Coiley shouted.

"I saw it with my own eyes!" Sandrina shouted. "They killed the prince, and they turned their vicious killer dog on me in an attempt to kill me when I saw what they were doing!"

"That's a lie!" Multi shouted, picking up Skittles, and holding her, protectively. "Skittles wouldn't hurt anybody! Not unless it was a crook or something like that."

"Who are you going to believe?" Sandrina asked the guards. "A couple of strangers, or your own, beloved princess?"

That was all it took. Immediately, the guards locked Coiley, Multi, and Skittles in prison.

"Well, now what do we do?" Coiley asked.

"Good question," Multi said. "I don't know."

Skittles suddenly started barking, and she began digging in the floor, faster and faster until her legs became a blur.

"That's a good thought Skittles," Multi said. "But this floor is made out of concrete. You won't be able to dig through it, even at super speed."

Skittles gave Multi a look, and a bark that clearly meant "Oh ye of little faith." Then she went back to digging. And to Multi and Coiley's surprise, she managed to dig a hole straight through the concrete, and she kept right on tunneling!

"How in the . . . ." Multi started. "That's impossible!"

"Well, what did you expect from Impossi-Pup, Multi?" Coiley asked. "Come on! We've got to find Fluey!"

"Right," Multi agreed, and jumped down the hole after his dog. "Rally ho!"

"Rally ho!" Coiley shouted, and jumped down the hole himself. Then the two of them followed Skittles.

As luck would have it, Skittles had managed to dig right into the tunnel from Sandrina's room. She sniffed along the ground, and then howled, running ahead. Multi and Coiley followed, until they came to a door at the top of a flight of steps. Skittles was whimpering, and pawing at it. Coiley opened the door, and saw a cave.

"I don't like the looks of this, Multi," he said.

"Me neither," Multi replied. "But Skittles might be onto something here. We'd better investigate."

Skittles barked, sniffed the ground, and ran into the cave. Multi and Coiley followed. Suddenly, Skittles skidded to a halt, and Coiley stopped immediately. Multi managed to crash into Coiley.

"What did you stop for?" he asked.

"Don't move," Coiley said. "Look."

Multi looked, and gulped. It was about all he could do. There was Fluey, surrounded by Khakistanian cobras, all rearing up, ready to strike. Fluey knew his friends were there, but he didn't dare make a move, or even try to respond. If he did, he figured these snakes would surely attack.

"Oh boy, this looks bad," Coiley said, quietly, figuring any sudden noise would cause the snakes to lunge. "What do we do?"

"Uhhh . . . ." Multi said, a little nervously. He began backing away slowly. "I d-d-d-don't know, Coiley. I . . . uhhh . . . . I . . . ."

"Multi, what's the matter with you? Don't tell me you're afraid of snakes!"

"Okay. I won't. But I am!"

"I told you not to tell me."

"Sorry, Coiley. I know I'm a superhero and all, and it usually _does_ take a lot to scare me, but snakes . . . . . ooooh, I can't stand snakes!"

"Well, if we get any closer, they're likely to strike not only at Fluey, but at us as well."

"And we certainly don't want to provoke them. That'll make them attack for sure. And these aren't just any snakes, Coiley, these are cobras! Not only can they strike with their teeth, but they can also spit! And if the venom gets into the eyes, it can cause permanent blindness."

"Not all cobras spit, Multi."

"You want to take a chance that these don't, Coiley?"

Coiley didn't respond. Multi had a point there. Apparently, they were at a standstill. Fluey remained completely still. Some of the cobras lowered, and began slithering around him. A couple of them crawled over his legs. Fluey tensed a little, but didn't move.

"He's handling this pretty well," Coiley commented.

"If I were Fluey, I'd probably be going nuts right about now," Multi said. "Moving and screaming. Then I'd probably wind up getting bit."

"Well we can't stand here and do nothing."

"And we can't go over there and just pick up those things and tie them in knots. Coiley, we're talking about _cobras_ here! One of the deadliest snake species in the world! I read something about Khakistanian cobras before we flew out here. One bit can kill a full grown bull elephant in six hours. Can you imagine what one Khakistanian cobra bite could do to us?"

Skittles suddenly raced out of the cave as fast as she could. Luckily for the Impossibles, it was so fast, the cobras didn't even notice. She returned not even a second later, carrying some sort of flute in her mouth. She tugged at Multi's pant leg with her teeth to get his attention, and whimpered softly. She didn't want to bark, because that would definitely alert the snakes. Multi looked down, and picked up the flute.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Hey, that's it!" Coiley shouted, grabbing the flute. "We'll charm those snakes!"

"I hope you know how to play that thing, Coiley, 'cause I sure don't!"

"Don't worry, Multi. Leave everything to me."

Coiley slowly walked forward, and began to play the flute. You all know the tune. It's the same tune used in cartoons whenever there's a snake charmer or a belly dancer. The snakes heard the music and turned towards Coiley, dancing the only way a snake could dance. Then, they began "dancing" towards the hole in the wall that they came out of in the first place. One by one, the cobras slithered into the hole, until they were all gone. Then, Coiley and Multi gathered some rocks together, and blocked the opening so the snakes wouldn't come back. Then they ran over to Fluey and untied him.

"You all right?" Coiley asked, removing Fluey's gag.

"Yeah," Fluey said. "You guys showed up not a moment too soon!"

"How did you manage to keep calm like that?" Multi asked, pulling Fluey to his feet. "I know I would've been panicking!"

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much!" Fluey shouted. "Come on, we've gotta get back to the palace, and get Sandrina to confess. I wish she hadn't busted my tape recorder. I had the whole thing on it."

"So she _is_ behind this," Coiley said. "She told the guards Multi and I were the culprits. We had to break out of jail."

"Man, she's sneaky," Fluey said. "We'll just have to be sneaky right back. I don't think it'll be necessary to change into our superhero identities for this, fellas. I've got a plan. Now listen."

The boys huddled, and Fluey told Multi and Coiley his idea. Then, they snuck back into the palace, via the secret tunnel, but they didn't go into the palace just yet. They sent Skittles inside to gather the things they would need. She was the only one who could get the stuff without getting caught, since she could move so fast. Within a matter of two minutes, Skittles returned to her friends with the boys' guitars, some extra guitar strings, and some glow in the dark stage make-up, and glow in the dark white paint.

"Good work, Impossi-Pup," Fluey said. "Coiley, you start de-stringing our guitars. Multi, you help me."

"Right," Coiley and Multi said in unison, and the three boys got to work.

Within minutes, Coiley had all the guitar strings off the guitars, and Multi was tying them around Fluey. Fluey was made up to look like a ghost. Multi and Coiley were going to use the guitar strings to hoist him into the air to make it look like he was flying.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea to use the guitar strings," Coiley said.

"It's the closest thing we have to an invisible wire," Fluey said, shrugging. "If we use regular rope, she'll get wise to us."

"I just hope the guitar strings can support you, Fluey," Multi said. "They're not all that strong."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Fluey said. "Now come on. We've got to get her to confess."

That night, the boys put their plan into action when Sandrina was primping in her mirror.

"I am _such_ a genius," she said. Suddenly, her lights went out. "All right! Who's the wise guy?! Turn those lights back on! I can't see the beauty that is me in my mirror!"

"Sandriiiiiinaaaaaa . . . . ." Fluey chanted, trying to sound ghost-like.

"Wh-wh-who's th-th-th-there?" Sandrina asked, nervously. Suddenly, Fluey flew into the room, via secret passage. Multi and Coiley were holding him up with their guitar strings, but neither of them were so sure they would hold.

"Ali?!" Sandrina shouted, incredulously. "But . . . . but I thought . . . . ."

"You thought right!" Fluey shouted. "I'm not Ali, I'm the ghost of Ali!"

"A g-g-g-ghost?!"

"You betcha, baby."

"Well . . . . what do you want?"

"What else? Confess! Confess to your father that you're behind it all! Or I will haunt you for the rest of your life!"

"All right! All right, I'll confess! I'll confess, I'll go tell him right now!"

Sandrina was about to leave the room, when all of a sudden, the guitar strings broke, and Fluey crashed to the floor.

"Ow!" he shouted once he landed.

"I knew the guitar strings wouldn't hold!" Multi groaned. Skittles barked, and raced out of the secret passage, through Sandrina's room, and down the hallway. Sandrina didn't even notice.

"Wait just one minute here," she said, walking towards Fluey. "Since when do ghosts crash to the ground in mid flight?"

"Love to stay and shoot the breeze, Sandy, but I've got other old haunts to visit!" Fluey shouted, and was about to take off when Sandrina grabbed him by the back of the shirt collar.

"Not so fast!" she shouted. She grabbed a tissue out of a box on her vanity and wiped it over Fluey's face, and hair, taking off the make-up.

"Ah ha! A fake!" she shouted. She then grabbed a dagger from a drawer. "I don't know how you escaped, but one thing is for sure, it won't happen again! I am just going to have to take care of you here and now!"

"Multi! Coiley! HELP!" Fluey screamed.

"Hold it, princess!" Coiley shouted, as he and Multi came out of the secret passage. Sandrina just grabbed Fluey, and held the dagger to his neck.

"Make on false move, and I'll slit his throat!" she shouted.

"It won't matter what we do," Multi said. "You're just planning on killing him, anyway."

"Can't you wait awhile?" Fluey asked. "At least until we get the DNA test results back. I mean, I might not even be the prince, you know!"

"True. But even if you're not Ali, you'll have to be silenced, anyway, since you're the only one who knows the truth! And I'll have to do away with your friends, too, since they know as well. I can't allow Father to discover that I had Ali kidnapped! Whether or not he's dead, I don't know, but I also can't have Father finding out I tried to kill you, too, if you _are_ my brother! I knew I should've smothered you when you were a baby! It would have been easier to make it look like an accident! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make this look like an accident, but I'm sure I'll . . . . ."

"SANDRINA!" a voice shouted. Sandrina was so startled she let go of Fluey and dropped the dagger. She turned around and saw her father standing in the door way. Skittles was sitting beside him, wagging her tail, and looking quite smug.

"Father!" Sandrina gasped. "How . . . . who . . . . what . . . . when . . . ."

"Super sonic Impossi-Pup does it again with her super speed," Fluey said with a laugh.

"If I hadn't heard it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it," the sultan said. "I just can not believe that you would try to kill your brother just to get the throne! Guards! Take her away!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Sandrina protested. "This is all just a big misunderstanding! I can explain it!" I really can!"

But the sultan wasn't going to listen to excuses. Sandrina scowled as the guards began taking her out of the room.

"I should have listened to you sooner, my boy," the sultan said to Fluey.

"That's okay," Fluey said, shrugging. "At least all's well that ends well."

_BANG!_

The sound of a gunshot rang through the room. Fluey let out a blood curdling shriek, and fell to the ground. He had been hit in the head by the bullet when the gun fired.

"Fluey!" Coiley shouted.

"If I can't be the ruler of Khakistan," Sandrina said, holding a smoking handgun, "then neither will he!"

The guards immediately seized the weapon, and took Sandrina away. Multi raced out of the room to call an ambulance. He knew he had to act fast. Moments later, he returned to Sandrina's room. Coiley was pressing a piece of cloth against Fluey's head to control the bleeding.

"The paramedics are on their way," Multi said. "Hopefully, they'll be here soon."

"I hope so," Coiley said. "Just hang in there, Fluey. Help is on the way."

Fluey moaned, and lapsed into unconsciousness. Coiley and Multi looked at each other, worriedly. This wasn't a good sign.


	6. Test Results

It seemed to be taking hours in the Khakistanian hospital waiting room for the doctors to come out. Coiley was on his guitar, informing Big D what was going on, and Multi and Skittles were both pacing the floor. The sultan was sitting there, looking grim. Once Coiley ended the transmission, he walked up to Multi.

"What did Big D say?" Multi asked.

"He's canceling the rest of the Middle East thing," Coiley said. "He wants us to come back to HQ as soon as we can, and he wants the doctors here to transport Fluey back to HQ as soon as they're able to. I really don't know how he can be so confident that everything's going to turn out all right."

"That's the chief for you," Multi said, shrugging. "I guess it takes an awful lot to rattle Big D!"

Coiley had to agree with that one. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Multi and Coiley, the doctor came out.

"I have to tell you boys one thing," he said. "Your friend is one extremely lucky young man! We're a bit amazed that there wasn't any damage to the brain. We're not sure what happened, but the bullet missed the brain completely!"

"That's good, I guess," Coiley said, shrugging.

"You don't have to worry, though," the doctor continued. "He's expected to make a full recovery. Quite impossible, really."

"How do you like that, Multi?" Coiley asked. "Even when we're not in our alter egos, we're still impossible."

"Can we go see him now?" Multi asked.

"No, not tonight," the doctor said. "I want him to get some rest, but you can go in tomorrow."

The next day, Coiley, Multi, and the sultan were at the hospital. Fluey was awake, but very disoriented after what had happened.

"Oooh, my head is killing me!" he shouted.

"I bet," Coiley said. "Other than that, how are you feeling, Fluey?"

"Okay, I guess," Fluey said, then he heaved a sigh. "I just want this whole thing to be over with."

"It won't be over until we get the results of the DNA testing," Multi said.

"I hope we find out soon," Fluey said. "This whole ordeal is giving me a headache."

Multi and Coiley nodded. The only good thing they could find out of this whole mess was that Sandrina had been locked up, and was no longer a threat. After a few moments, the doctor that took the DNA tests the other day came into the room.

"Boys, I have the results of the DNA tests," he said.

"Hey, how's that for timing?" Fluey asked.

"Well, what are the results, doctor?" the sultan asked. "Is the boy my son or not?"

"We've double checked and triple checked," the doctor said. "We've gone through everything in the royal family history we could think of, but the results were all the same. We were unable to find a match. I'm afraid he's not the prince."

"So you're telling me that Princess Psychopath tried to kill me for nothing," Fluey said. "That just figures. I needed that like I need a hole in the head!"

"Oh, Fluey, I can't be_lieve_ you just said that!" Multi groaned.

"Sorry, bad choice of words," Fluey said, realizing what he just said, considering what had just happened in the past couple of days.

About a week later, Fluey was ready to be transported back to the States. The sultan was seeing them off.

"I am truly sorry about all the trouble," he said. "If there is anything I can do to make it up to you boys . . . ."

"Don't worry about it," Multi said.

"I was hoping that the test results would turn out positive," the sultan sighed. "I guess the mystery of my missing son will still remain a mystery."

"I really wish we could do more to help," Coiley said.

"I wouldn't give up hope, sultan," Multi said. "I mean, stranger things have happened."

"Mostly to us," Fluey commented.

"I suppose you're right," the sultan said.

And with that, the Impossibles took off and headed for home. It was a pretty quiet trip back, which was a little unusual for the boys, who were almost always practicing their songs while on the move, or had the radio on.

"You're kind of quiet back there, Fluey," Coiley said. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Fluey said. "I was just thinking about the DNA test results."

"You sound kind of depressed over it," Multi said. "I thought you'd be relieved."

"I am," Fluey said. "But in a way, I kind of wish the results were positive, you know?"

"How come?" Coiley asked. "You know if they did match, you'd have to stay in Khakistan, give up your music career, _and_ quit the team."

"Yeah, I know, and I _am_ glad I'm not the prince, but I only kinda wish the DNA matched because then I'd finally know who my birth parents were. And it would explain why I was just dropped on an orphanage doorstep when I was a baby. But since the tests came back negative, the identity of my parents and the reason why they just up and left me on a doorstep still remains a mystery. And we can't take the time to find out, not with our lifestyles. By the time we even get around to starting, Big D will probably call us in on an assignment."

"Well, Fluey, as I said to the sultan, stranger things have happened," Multi said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Fluey sighed. "Who knows? Maybe one day, out of the blue, something will happen that will lead me to my parents."

Multi and Coiley didn't say anything, mostly because they didn't know how to respond. But apparently, Fluey wasn't really looking for a response.

"But I'm not gonna dwell on that," he said. "I mean, what's the point? Yeah, I'd like to know who my real parents are, but it's been sixteen years, and who knows if they're even still alive? In any case, Coiley, turn on the radio and let's head home."

"You got it," Coiley said, and he switched on the Impossi-Jet's radio, and the trio (plus Skittles, of course), flew off into the sky.

THE END


End file.
